Sen. Blumenthal warns against propspect of US troops in Iran

US President Donald Trump appears to be leaning toward ordering a major ground operation against Iran, The Times of Israel reported, citing an official from a country mediating between Washington and Tehran.

US recognizes that Tehran is not likely to agree to the concessions presented in Washington’s 15-point plan and has dispatched thousands of troops to the region in order to capture Iran's Kharg Island on Trump’s orders, the report said citing the official.

The report cited a second official from a mediating country as warning that while US forces may be able to capture the island, holding it would likely require significantly more troops and a longer campaign than the four-to-six week timeframe publicly suggested by Washington.

Israel’s military said on Thursday its air force carried out around 20 waves of strikes over the past 24 hours targeting Iranian military infrastructure in western Iran.

The military said the strikes hit dozens of sites including locations in Kermanshah and Dezful.

It said about 70 munitions were used to target facilities involved in the storage and launch of ballistic missiles as well as air defense systems.

Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the country will continue fighting until it breaks what he described as the cycle of “war–ceasefire–war.”

In a post on his X account addressed to the “heroic nation of Iran,” Ghalibaf said public mobilization and the sacrifices of Iran’s armed forces over the past 25 nights had created conditions for what he called a “historic victory.”

“No one can issue ultimatums to Iran or the Iranian people,” he wrote.

Ghalibaf added that Iran’s forces would not lose the opportunity created by the war and would press on until “complete victory” and the end of the cycle of “war–ceasefire–war.”

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused US soldiers of fleeing military bases in Gulf Cooperation Council countries and taking shelter in civilian locations.

“From the outset of this war, U.S. soldiers fled military bases in GCC to hide in hotels and offices,” Araghchi wrote on X.

He alleged that the move amounts to using Gulf civilians as “human shields.”

“Hotels in the U.S. deny bookings to officers who may endanger customers,” he wrote. “GCC hotels should do the same.”

“We have very substantial talks going on with respect to Iran, with the right people,” Trump told reporters at a Cabinet meeting, signaling that diplomatic channels remain open despite the ongoing conflict.

The president pointed to what he described as a recent gesture involving oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz as evidence that the interlocutors involved in the discussions hold influence inside Iran’s leadership.

“They said, to show you that we’re real and solid and we’re there, we’re going to let you have eight boats,” Trump said, referring to oil tankers transiting the strategic waterway.

He added that the number later increased to 10 vessels, suggesting to him that those involved in the talks had the authority to deliver concrete steps.

Steve Witkoff, the US envoy involved in the diplomatic effort, said Washington has presented Iran with a 15-point framework for a potential peace agreement, describing it as the basis for ongoing discussions.

Witkoff said the proposal had been circulated through intermediaries and that talks were producing what he called “strong and positive messaging,” though he said the administration would keep the details confidential.

Iranian officials have confirmed that they have received proposals from the United States and said they are reviewing them, though they have not publicly described the terms or acknowledged direct negotiations.

The diplomatic signals come against the backdrop of continued military escalation. Friday will mark four weeks since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, after negotiations that Witkoff said on Thursday had been going nowhere.

It also marks the end of a five-day extension announced by Trump this week to his deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face airstrikes on Iranian power plants.

When asked whether the deadline remained in effect through Friday, Trump declined to give a clear answer.

Efforts to arrange another round of talks also appear uncertain.

Pakistan’s foreign minister said Thursday that expectations for negotiations in Islamabad this weekend may be premature, cooling speculation that the two sides could meet there in the coming days.

Pentagon officials have confirmed that additional troops are being moved into the Middle East, and Axios reported Thursday that Trump has been presented with military options that include strikes on Iranian targets and the potential seizure of strategic islands.

Trump did not rule out further escalation when asked about the possibility of taking control of Iranian oil resources, similar to what the United States attempted in Venezuela.

“That could be an option,” he said.